Install Proof Brief

1. Get a license key

Enter your email below. A 14-day trial key arrives in under a minute.

2. Sideload the manifest in Word

Open Word.
Word for Mac: Insert tab → My Add-ins → My Organization Add-ins → Click "Upload My Add-in" → paste this URL:
```
https://app.getproofbrief.com/manifest.xml
```
Word for Windows: Insert tab → Office Add-ins → Upload My Add-in → paste the same manifest URL.
Word on the web: Insert tab → Office Add-ins → Upload My Add-in.
Click "Scan Citations" on the Home tab to open the side pane.

3. Activate

Paste the key from your trial email into the activation pane. Scanning starts immediately.

Already installed Proof Brief for development? The production add-in shares the same identity as the dev build. Before sideloading, fully quit Word (Cmd+Q on Mac), then remove the old manifest:

rm ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Documents/wef/*.manifest.xml

and clear the Word add-in cache:

rm -rf ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Application\ Support/Microsoft/Office/16.0/Wef/AggregatedCache

then re-launch Word and re-sideload.

Multiple devices

Your license is per-user, not per-device. Paste the same key on each device's first launch — Mac, Windows, or web. Each device caches the license locally for 24 hours.

System requirements

Microsoft 365 Word for Mac (16.85+) — full feature set.
Word for Windows (16.85+).
Word on the web — limited Critique API support; cards still appear in the pane without underlines.
Word for Mac perpetual — same as web.

Need help? Read the support page or email support@getproofbrief.com.